Another Day, Another Argument
by ArmAndLeg
Summary: An argument is one of the least favorite things to any couple...but at least, for the most part, they are forgotten, and the ones involved make up. But such just might not be the case to these two. Slash warning. Please read, REVIEW, and enjoy!


AN: A somewhat continuation to Betraying the Rivalry, but can also be considered to have its own time-line. It's something I just HAD to do… Especially after that RP…This is a one-shot fic, with possibly no resolution. I haven't planned that far ahead yet… Though, every time when I start writing something like this and say it'll be a one-shot, it ends up being a series fic. -_-; So, watch out for that possibility, too…

Warnings/Disclaimer: Slash. Zim/Dib to be precise. But, this is different from anything I have written before. Angst is very evident. I wish I owned Invader ZiM, not so that I could make Zim and Dib get together, but so that it would never be threatened by a stupid station like Nickelodeon. 

Another Day, Another Argument

It was a typical day at the Membrane household; the sun was shining, the birds were singing, Gaz was endlessly tapping away at her GS2…

And Zim and Dib were having yet _another_ argument. Life couldn't be better. 

"I'm tired of this, Zim! Go home and plan a way to capture the human race… I don't care anymore."

"Dib! You know I'm not out to capture your planet anymore!" 

"And why is that, Zim?" Dib glared at Zim as he turned around to face him. "Oh, that's right! It was because you found out that your _leaders_ wanted you dead! You hear that? Your _leaders_—the ones who you trusted all your life—wanted you _dead_!" 

"You have no right…" Zim growled as he returned Dib's glare. "And it seems as though you want me dead too!"

"That's right, Zim! Now go! I don't want to see you anymore!" Dib shouted back, trying not to let it show that he was hurt by Zim's accusation. His feelings of hurt, however, were forgotten when Zim turned on his heel to leave, muttering curses and insults to Dib. Dib continued to glare poisonously at the front door once Zim was gone, then headed upstairs to his room. 

"Idiot… He didn't have to go and say that…" Zim mumbled as he stormed down the street. Anyone around him could tell he was in the foulest of moods, and promptly avoided getting in the Irken's way. Of course, this had happened before…but, Dib had never said anything like that to him. 

Zim scoffed. He knew it was only a matter of time before Dib _did_ tell him to go away, but he hadn't expected it to be so soon… For the most part, the argument was Zim's fault. He shouldn't have gotten so testy over the fact that Dib had said something about him being weak. After all, Dib was most likely joking, and Zim had taken him seriously. 

Though, no matter how naïve Zim might have been to the romance scene, he knew he had to do something about this argument. It was far worse than any others were; it seemed as though Dib almost…meant what he said. The fury Dib held in his eyes was all Zim could remember at the moment, and it chilled Zim to the bone. Dib hadn't held that much animosity for the alien since the day he had been banished for a second time…

__

That's right, Zim! Now go! I don't want to see you anymore! 

Did he… Did Dib really mean that? Zim found himself asking that as he walked up the sidewalk. Does he really…want me dead? He shook his head. Dib had feelings for him that no other being in the universe had for him; he _couldn't_ want Zim dead. Though, the look in Dib's eye…the hatred he could sense from the young human's being…was stronger than it had ever been in their past arguments. Could it be that this once…Dib really meant it? 

Zim didn't want to think about it. Dib was the only person who gave a crap about him on this God-forsaken planet. If he lost Dib now, he would never be the same. He couldn't go back to Irk, the Tallests themselves ordered him to stay on Earth. Besides, no one but Jazz cared about him there. That's it! He should talk to Jazz about this, get his advice on what to do. 

Sighing, Dib sat down on his bed and grabbed his pillow. He couldn't believe himself. Did he really…shout those words at Zim? Of course he did, Gaz had been there to be a witness, and she had given him a disapproving look. 

__

Dib…you're such an idiot… was all that she said before going back to her precious GameSlave 2.

And he was an idiot. He probably just gave up his only chance to be happy…all because of a stupid argument he had to start. This was, for once, entirely all his fault. Plus, the words he had said at the end of it, before Zim had stormed off… I didn't mean it, Dib thought suddenly. I know I didn't mean them.

But did Zim know that…? Of course Zim didn't. Zim wasn't as smart as he made himself out to be, and he was always so believing of whatever Dib told him. Dib sighed again and punched the pillow as hard as he could. He wanted to go to Zim's house and apologize…but he wasn't sure on whether or not Zim wanted him to actually be around him at the moment. 

And how dare Zim think that he actually wanted the alien dead! If Dib had wanted him dead, he would have killed him by now… If Zim hadn't even said that, Dib wouldn't have shouted that he did want Zim dead, and the argument would have blown over with no hard feelings… Dib knew this was going to be a hard mistake to fix, but he had to. He wasn't about to give up Zim over something as stupid as an argument…

His eyes softened slightly. He couldn't remain angry with Zim and himself for long… Sighing once again, Dib placed the pillow back in its place, then rested his head on it. Dib closed his eyes and tried to forget what happened. Sleep always did his mind good, but thinking about the incident would prevent him from actually sleeping. 

He just hoped that Zim wouldn't avoid him like the plague tomorrow…

Zim growled yet again at his work. Before he could stop himself, he crumbled up the paper into a perfect ball and threw it in the trashcan. He couldn't write for crap, be it in Irken or English. He rubbed his temples, picked up his pen, and began to write again. 

Soon enough, the new piece of paper followed the first. Zim was getting no where with this. He glanced at the trashcan, and was astonished at how many paper balls were cluttered in and around it. There was no way he'll get anything done this way. Zim's stubborn nature was getting the best of him, however, and he once again pulled out a piece of paper and began to think about what he was going to write.

"Ugh, forget it," Zim muttered suddenly, placing the pen down harder than he had meant to. "I'm just going to have to talk to him in person about this…" 

"Master~! Jazz is on the liii~iiine! He says he wants to talk to you!" Gir shouted from somewhere in Zim's lab.

The Irken muttered something that sounded like finally, and clicked a few keys on the keyboard in front of him. "Yes, Jazz?"

"Sorry it took me so long to get back to you, Zim."

Zim managed a small smile at his friend's apology. "Don't worry about it… Do you have…any idea what I should do?" Zim asked right away, not even bothering with idle chitchat.

Jazz sighed. "Zim, you know I'm no good at things like this… But I can tell you this: Dib definitely didn't mean what he said."

"I know that."

"Then what are you waiting for! Go to his house and spill your guts! That _always_ works for Red…" Jazz said.

"Jazz… I've been thinking…"

"What's that, Zim?" 

A sigh. "I…" Whatever Zim said, Jazz heard it. 

"You don't mean…"

"Yeah…. I just hope that Dib will understand."

"Me too, Zim. For your sake…I hope so." 

Dib woke up the next morning and instantly shut his eyes, trying to get rid of the headache he had gotten while sleeping. His first thoughts that occupied his brain were, as usual, on Zim. He turned on his side and faced the wall. There was no way he wanted to wake up from his dreams…where he and Zim were happy and never arguing. 

"Dib! You're little green friend's here!" Membrane called from downstairs. 

Dib suppressed a groan, turned to look at his clock, and sat straight up. It was one already! He had no clue he had slept in that long! "Let him in, Dad! I'll be right down!" Dib shouted as he hurriedly got dressed. All he managed to show on his facial expression was wonder as he practically ran down the stairs. Then he remembered he was supposed to still be mad at Zim. 

So Dib compromised; he crossed his arms over his chest, but gave Zim a trusting look. "Yes, Zim?"

"Dib, do you mind if we talked…in private?" Zim said a little uneasily, looking at Membrane, then Gaz. 

"No… But if it's about that argument we had…" Dib didn't get the chance to complete what he was saying.

"Good," and with that, Zim grabbed Dib's hand and dragged him upstairs to Dib's room. Dib gave Zim another bewildered look, but allowed himself to smile as Zim dragged him away from his family members.

"What's this about, Zim?" Dib asked once he shut his door behind him, relaxing slightly. His happy disposition was lost, however, when he noticed the look in Zim's eyes. 

"Dib…Do you think that we've been…a little _too_ confrontational with one another lately?" Zim asked quietly, sitting down on Dib's bed, with Dib soon to follow.

"Too confrontational?" 

"Yeah… I mean, for the past month or so, almost all we did was argue." 

Dib's glance left Zim's face to the floor. "That's true… And it's been mostly my fault, Zim! I always start them!" Dib said suddenly, turning to face Zim again. 

Zim blinked slightly, then looked away from Dib. "It's not your fault… I'm usually the one who gets offended…"

"It's because you don't trust me completely, isn't it?" 

"What?" Zim asked in disbelief. 

"That's it, isn't it? You don't trust me enough…" Dib sighed. "And I've been prying too much… Zim… I think we should…give our relationship a rest before either of us gets hurt more than we have to be," he suggested, just as quiet as Zim was earlier.

"You know, I was just going to suggest that myself, Dib… But, I have to ask, did you mean what you said yesterday?"

"Of course not! I was upset that you had actually thought that I really wanted you dead…" 

"I'm sorry, Dib," Zim said as he took Dib's hand. 

"I'm sorry, too, Zim. I never should have brought up the Tallest yesterday… And I should learn to shut my mouth more often," Dib said lightly, smiling at Zim. "And Zim, I really don't want to break up…"

"Then why did you suggest it?"

"Because I knew you might have been considering it… Even if it was for a little while," Dib answered.

"Well, how about this… We don't try to pry into each other's business so much, and I could be a little more trusting of you. I know you wouldn't do anything to hurt me purposely."

"That might work…"

"Well, I have to go, Dib. I promised Gir I'd spend the day with him. I'll let myself out," Zim said quietly, getting up from Dib's bed. 

"Alright, Zim," Dib responded, then he grabbed Zim's hand. "Don't let anything I say get to you too much, Zim. I usually don't mean it."

Zim smiled softly at Dib. "I know. See ya tomorrow, Dib."

"See you tomorrow, Zim." Dib sighed once Zim was gone. So, maybe they weren't going to be acting the way they used to, but at least…this time, their relationship will have a chance against their differences. They weren't completely together now, though, since they came with that agreement. 

Dib just hoped that Zim would be more trusting of him soon, and that they could have a day where they wouldn't have to worry about offending or hurting the others feelings.

AN: Well… They didn't break up, but they're not really together, either. I, myself, didn't quite expect this ending. I was almost going to make them break up completely, but something inside of me fought against that decision. So I made a compromise with myself and came up with this. ^_^;; It's a short, one-shot fic that I will NOT come back and continue three months later on a brink of inspiration… At least, I hope so… You're reviews would be MOST welcome. 


End file.
